Former ICRISAT Regional Director is now a Senior Fellow

Dr Said N Silim

Dr Said N Silim, eminent crop physiologist and agricultural development specialist from Tanzania, has recently been appointed an ICRISAT Fellow.

Dr Silim was with ICRISAT from 1990 to 2013, in various capacities – from Principal Scientist (Cereals and legumes), through Country Representative (Kenya), to Director, Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA).

He was deeply involved in the Pigeonpea Improvement Project in ESA, which was instrumental in substantially increasing the area of pigeonpea cultivation, productivity and popularity as a major export crop in Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania. Dr Silim was part of the team that won two CGIAR King Baudouin Awards – in 1998 for pigeonpea improvement, and in 2002 for chickpea development. After leaving ICRISAT in 2013, Dr Silim was the Coordinator, Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) Regional Program at ICARDA (International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas).

Dr Silim is known for his resource mobilization, management and coordination skills that help projects to develop and deliver science-backed solutions to help smallholder farmers in the drylands of Africa.

Through ICRISAT’s honorary Fellowships, experienced scientists, in a mentoring role, share their valuable knowledge and skills with others at ICRISAT. The Fellowships, generally of one year’s duration, are awarded by the Director General.